Face to Face
by HunterX14
Summary: Chp 3 up. SG-1 goes on a recon mission to P4X369, where they encounter an unknown Goa'uld with dangerous new technology. A little bit of SJ. Summaries are not my forte! Please R & R!
1. Default Chapter

Legal Note: Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, General Hammond, Dr. Fraiser and other characters appearing in the series don't belong to me. They belong to Gekko, Double Secret, etc. The story does belong to me. This fiction has been written for then enjoyment of fans and not for profit or compensation of any kind, nor will any be accepted. You get the idea.  
  
Author's Note: Please read and review. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome, as it will improve future writing.  
  
Posted some minor corrections.spelling, grammar, etc.  
  
P4X369  
  
The Stargate shut off behind SG-1, leaving them to stand silently in a small clearing, surrounded by jungle foliage.  
  
Tok'ra intelligence said that this unremarkable little planet was producing a truly remarkable amount of naquada. SG-1 was tasked with determining the validity of the intelligence. Aerial reconnaissance had been inconclusive.  
  
The UAV that had been used to scout the immediate vicinity around the Stargate indicated that there was a small contingent of Jaffa and possibly a Goa'uld nearby, based on the dwellings that could be seen half a mile away. The gate itself had appeared to be completely unguarded. On a planet ruled by a Goa'uld with limited resources, this was not altogether unusual, but something about it didn't sit right with O'Neill.  
  
He scanned the jungle, which had grown up thickly around the Stargate and was apparently only being kept back by the expansion of the event horizon and by frequent use of a path that disappeared back into the trees, presumably leading back to the dwellings the UAV had seen.  
  
Teal'c gripped his staff and swiveled his head, silently peering into the trees. His jaw clenched and unclenched unconsciously as he continued to look around.  
  
Major Carter noticed his reaction and immediately checked her P-90 to be sure it was ready. "Sir, something's got Teal'c spooked."  
  
"I feel it too, Major. Something isn't right. I just can't put my finger on what."  
  
"Shall I dial home, sir?"  
  
"Negative. We are here for a reconnaissance mission and unless we find more than the heebie-jeebies to bother us, we're going to do just that."  
  
"Sam, did you see the DHD? Look at the symbols on it. There's at least a half-dozen I don't recognize as being on our list. When you think about it, that gives a whole new meaning to 'You can't get there from here.'" Daniel Jackson gave a big grin that, as usual, was infectious enough to make Major Carter break out in a smile of her own.  
  
Colonel O'Neill watched the Major's face light up as she hurried over to look at the symbols. He was always amazed at the way any new discovery seemed to bring life to her. Like a kid at Christmas, he thought. He stood, watching her for some time.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill," came a quiet voice.  
  
It didn't break through his focus. He watched as Carter and Daniel took turns taking pictures of the DHD with a digital camera and digital camcorder. More tech gadgets that she'd absolutely had to have and, he admitted it had proven their worth.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill," came the voice again.  
  
He shook his head and then responded. "Yes, Teal'c."  
  
"I do not believe it is wise for us to remain in the clearing. We should move into the jungle to avoid any patrols that might have heard the sound of the gate activation."  
  
"You're right, Teal'c." He focused on Carter and Daniel again. "Okay, you two. Enough of the techno-archeology whatchamacallits. Let's get ready to move out."  
  
"Yes, sir," Carter hid a grin as she packed away her camera. O'Neill's unwillingness or inability to learn the names of things or refer to them properly had a tendency to make her laugh.  
  
"Okay, Jack. I'm about as ready as I can be." Daniel stowed his gear and stood up, pack shouldered.  
  
"Teal'c, take point. Daniel, you're next, then Carter. I'll watch the rear."  
  
Teal'c moved out without a word. Daniel followed him. Carter waited a moment, looking at Colonel O'Neill. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly, waiting for her to move. A moment later, she shook her head almost imperceptibly, a bemused expression on her face, then moved to follow Daniel.  
  
Carter waited until she was almost to the edge of the clearing and then allowed her hips a most non-military wiggle. I can't believe I just did that. But then, the Colonel's comment about watching the rear had struck her as funny and he definitely deserved to be teased for it.  
  
O'Neill shook his head and blinked a couple of times. Did she just. nah, she must have misstepped; she wouldn't have done that on purpose. He waited just a moment longer and then followed her into the jungle.  
  
~~~  
  
The journey to the small group of buildings took more than half an hour. They carefully swung out away from the well-used trail and then angled back to come in from the side.  
  
Aerial reconnaissance had suggested that it was only a small operation. From the ground, it became obvious that the video was wrong. The first indication was when Teal'c raised his right hand in a clenched fist to signal the others to stop moving, then indicated that O'Neill should come forward to see what he was seeing.  
  
The sight astounded him. Not twenty yards ahead was a very large building that had not shown up when the UAV flew over. They had somehow managed to not notice the building until that moment. A building that size should have stuck out like a sore thumb. He glanced at Teal'c; he looked troubled.  
  
"What are you thinking Teal'c?"  
  
"I believe this Goa'uld possesses technology to camouflage buildings in a manner far superior to anything I've ever seen before." He paused, staring at the large building, then took a step backward. "From here, the building appears to be nothing more than jungle. It is possible that there is much more here than we originally thought. I recommend that we withdraw at once."  
  
That was unlike Teal'c. He rarely opted to retreat. "Carter, come up here a moment."  
  
"Yes, sir," came the instant reply. "What's going on? Whoa! Sir, there's a building there that we never noticed. The recon drone didn't show it."  
  
"No, it didn't. That means that none of the recon data from the UAV is valid, or at the least it is all suspect until proven otherwise. Teal'c recommends we withdraw. What do you think?"  
  
"I concur, sir." She looked around the jungle. "If they can hide a building like that, isn't it just as possible that they could hide a lot more, such as barracks for Jaffa, hangars for death gliders, or even a mothership?" Her musing was interrupted by an all too familiar sound.  
  
"Jaffa, kree! There are intruders nearby. Find them and eliminate them." The voice came from somewhere off to their right.  
  
"Okay, leaving is probably good. Daniel, Teal'c head for the Stargate. Carter and I will try to draw the Jaffa away and then follow. Don't dawdle. We've got no idea how many Jaffa are out here."  
  
O'Neill grinned at Carter. There was nothing like playing hide and seek with a bunch of Jaffa who wanted to kill you.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Teal'c radioed with a status report. "We are nearing the Stargate. I believe we have successfully evaded detection." At just that moment, Daniel Jackson sneezed loudly enough that O'Neill could hear it over the radio.  
  
"Correction, O'Neill, we have now been detected." The sound of several staff blasts came across the channel, and then the radio went quiet as Teal'c obviously let go of the transmitter.  
  
"Sir, we'd better move fast if we want to have a chance to help them. I'm pretty sure the group of Jaffa that was chasing us is far enough away for us to move fast without drawing too much attention."  
  
"Alright Carter, let's move out." He moved off into the jungle, heading directly toward the Stargate. Carter followed him seconds later.  
  
O'Neill's radio crackled a bit and then the channel came through more clearly. ".taking heavy fire O'Neill.Jaffa." The sound of several staff blasts came across the channel, as did a cry of pain. ".Jackson has been injured.to dial out.covering fire."  
  
"Carter, we have to run if we're going to help them." He took off at a sprint.  
  
"Yes, sir." Came the reply, as she followed as quickly as she could.  
  
O'Neill was faster than Carter and easily outdistanced her. Moments later, he heard the sound of the Stargate activating and a large number of staff weapons firing. He located the Jaffa and began firing into them, more for confusion than for effect. The Jaffa stopped firing and took cover.  
  
"Okay people, let's get out of here," O'Neill yelled.  
  
Teal'c pulled Daniel to a standing position and drug him toward the gate.  
  
"Get ready to run Carter."  
  
O'Neill looked for her to make sure she'd heard him. She wasn't there.  
  
"Carter, we need to go. Where are you?" O'Neill used the radio to get her attention.  
  
"They cut me off, sir. I'm trying to work my way to." The transmission was cut off by the sound of multiple staff blasts.  
  
"Carter? Major Carter? Carter, are you there?"  
  
"Teal'c, get Daniel and yourself through the gate. I'll follow with Carter as soon as we can."  
  
"Colonel O'Neill. I will remain and assist you after pushing Doctor Jackson through the gate."  
  
"Negative Teal'c. You'll both go."  
  
Teal'c was about to disagree further when the Jaffa resumed firing. He and Daniel were both hit and fell through the gate. Several staff blasts also went into the gate.  
  
~~~  
  
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth  
  
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The disembodied voice of the computer sounded throughout the Cheyenne Mountain complex.  
  
The team assigned to guard the gate room readied their weapons and gazed intently at the iris. The tech assigned to monitor gate activity watched her readouts to see if any transmission codes were coming through.  
  
"Report," came General Hammond's voice from behind her.  
  
"Sir, the gate was activated less than one minute ago. So far there has been no signal. Wait, I'm getting a transmission, sir. The code belongs to SG-1."  
  
"I wasn't expecting them for at least a few more hours." He stared at the iris, wondering what might have prompted the early return, then continued. "Open the iris."  
  
Nearly a minute passed before Teal'c and Doctor Jackson tumbled through the event horizon, followed by half a dozen staff blasts. Both of them were obviously wounded. One of the security personnel had also been unfortunate enough to catch a staff blast in the chest.  
  
"Medical team report to the gate room. Medical team report to the gate room. We have wounded personnel."  
  
General Hammond waited expectantly for Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, but nothing came through. Seeing that, he hurried into the gate room to talk to Teal'c.  
  
Two members of the medical team passed him with a stretcher bearing Doctor Jackson. He was unconscious. Two more were following with another stretcher bearing Teal'c. He appeared to be conscious, so General Hammond stopped them for a moment.  
  
"Teal'c, can you hear me?"  
  
"Yes, General Hammond," he replied. The strain in his voice was evidence of the pain he was in.  
  
"Where are Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"  
  
Teal'c struggled to rise. "I must return. They are under attack. I believe Major Carter is wounded."  
  
"No, son, you need medical attention." The general placed a hand on the Jaffa's shoulder. "Did Colonel O'Neill say anything before you came through the gate?"  
  
"Only that he and Major Carter would follow when they could."  
  
"Okay. Thank you." He turned to the waiting medical staff. "Get this man to the infirmary."  
  
The general looked up at the control room. "Close the iris."  
  
~~~  
  
Doctor Fraiser arrived at the infirmary twenty minutes after the iris had been closed. "General, I'm sorry I wasn't here, but they weren't expected back for hours yet."  
  
"It's not your fault, doctor. It seems SG-1 ran into some trouble on P4X369 and had to make the transit back sooner than expected."  
  
"Where are the Colonel and the Major?"  
  
"They are still offworld, doctor."  
  
"Are they okay?"  
  
"At this point, we don't know much. Please take a look at Teal'c and Doctor Jackson, then give me an update. I have to get back to my office for a phone call that should be coming anytime now."  
  
"Yes, sir," she said to the general's back as he left the infirmary.  
  
Half an hour later she was at General Hammond's office. She stopped in the doorway when she saw he was still on the phone. He waved her, indicated she should close the door and then take a seat.  
  
"Yes, sir. So do I, sir. Yes, sir. Goodbye, sir." General Hammond hung up the phone and turned his attention to Doctor Fraiser.  
  
"Doctor, give me some good news," he said wearily.  
  
"Both are stable at this time."  
  
"Daniel was hit by two staff blasts. Fortunately, his backpack took most of the impact from one of the blasts. The other hit him in the ribs and abdomen and will probably take him a month to recover from."  
  
Teal'c was hit by three staff blasts. One hit him in the left buttock; one just above the right kidney and the third hit him in the left shoulder. All of his wounds obviously came as he was trying to get to the Stargate."  
  
"Thank you, doctor. Could you please let me know when I can talk to Teal'c again?"  
  
"Well, if Daniel had taken the wounds that Teal'c has, he'd probably be dead now. But, with Teal'c, it seems junior has done a wonderful job of keeping him alive and is well on the way to healing him. I'd expect he'll be able to talk to you in an hour or maybe two. He'll still be hurting, but knowing Teal'c he'll try to convince you to send him on a rescue mission."  
  
"He already tried that when he was being carried out on a stretcher." General Hammond smiled a little. "For a moment, I was afraid I was going to have to zat him."  
  
"That sounds like Teal'c alright." She stifled a laugh. "I hope Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are okay."  
  
"So do I, doctor. So do I." He didn't tell her that Teal'c had believed Major Carter was wounded as well.  
  
~~~  
  
P4X369  
  
O'Neill waited patiently, listening for any sign the Jaffa had been able to follow him during his flight from the area near the Stargate. When two minutes had passed and he'd heard no sounds, he began moving back toward the path he and Carter had taken when approaching the gate. Twenty minutes later, he was certain he'd found the path they were running on. He followed it back in the direction of the Stargate, walking slowly and quietly.  
  
A few minutes later, he found tracks that indicated Carter had been injured. She was stepping heavily on her right foot and dragging her left. Less than a minute later, he found her.  
  
She was laying on her back, face turned away from him. Her P-90 was just beyond the reach of her outstretched right hand. He could see that the reason she'd been limping was that her left thigh had a wound from a staff blast. Her chest was rising and falling, so he could tell she was alive. Her face was turned away from him, so he couldn't tell if she was conscious.  
  
After circling her twice to be sure there were no Jaffa hidden nearby to spring a trap, O'Neill approached her and knelt down at her side.  
  
"Carter," he said quietly, "can you hear me?" He got no response.  
  
"Come on Carter, wake up." He shook her and her face turned toward him. He swallowed hard when he saw the right side of her face. She'd been hit by a staff weapon. Below her eye and behind her mouth she was terribly burned and blistered. Her right earlobe was gone and much of the hair on that side of her head had been burned away.  
  
He closed his eyes for a moment, took a breath and decided what he needed to do. He collected Carter's dropped P-90 and slung it next to his own. Carefully, he pulled Carter into a sitting position and maneuvered her so he could put her over his shoulder and carry her. Moments later, he was heading for the Stargate, one hand holding his P-90 and the other gripping Carter's wrist and a handful of her BDU trousers to keep her from falling off his shoulders.  
  
As he approached the gate with Carter, O'Neill could hear voices ahead of him. He stopped and put Carter on the ground as carefully as he could.  
  
"Are all the intruders accounted for?"  
  
"No, my lord. Two have fled through the Chappa'ai. One was killed in the jungle, but one has eluded capture thus far. We will guard the Chappa'ai and prevent the last one from escaping.  
  
"Very well. This has put us behind schedule. You may have six Jaffa to guard the gate, no more. The rest must continue with preparations for our next shipment of naquada.  
  
"Of course, my lord. Six Jaffa should easily be enough to thwart one enemy from going through the gate."  
  
Six Jaffa to guard the gate. If he didn't have to dial out, it wouldn't be so bad, but with having to dial out he'd have to have them all dead or pinned down to do it. Not to mention carrying Carter through the gate. A thought struck him. He carried Carter back away from the Stargate and set her down again.  
  
He had to wake her up in order to get them out. He was going to need her firepower to do the job. He pulled out an ammonia capsule, broke it and slowly moved it back and forth under her nose. Her eyes flew open and she hit him with her right fist, knocking him over backward.  
  
"Carter, it's me."  
  
"Sorry, sir. What happened?" Almost on cue, she noted the pain in her leg, looked down and grimaced. "Nevermind, I think I know. Ow, my face hurts." She reached her right hand up to touch it.  
  
"Carter, no!" O'Neill lunged forward and caught her hand before it came in contact with her face. "Don't touch it. Trust me."  
  
She looked at him for a moment, searching his face for a clue as to how bad her injury was. As usual, his face was unreadable. "Okay, so where are Daniel and Teal'c?"  
  
"They got through the gate. We're going to join them shortly. First, we have to get to the DHD and the gate though. It's being guarded by six Jaffa. I'd like to catch them from two sides to take them down fast."  
  
~~~  
  
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth  
  
"I must speak with General Hammond."  
  
Doctor Fraiser heard the Jaffa's raised voice and hurried to check on him. She found two airmen forcibly holding him down on his bed.  
  
"Teal'c, please calm down."  
  
He continued to try to get up. "I must speak with the general at once."  
  
"I'll call him, Teal'c. I know he wanted to speak with you when you were able."  
  
That seemed to mollify him and he lay back after adjusting his bed to an inclined sitting position. "Very well, I shall await him." A few minutes later, Doctor Fraiser returned.  
  
"General Hammond is on his way."  
  
"Thank you, doctor. How is Daniel Jackson?"  
  
"He's still unconscious and the medication we're giving him will probably keep him that way for a while. I really thought you'd be out longer, but apparently Junior had other ideas."  
  
"My symbiote is well on the way to healing my injuries."  
  
"That's good to hear, Teal'c" came General Hammond's voice. I'm told you wanted to speak with me."  
  
"Yes, general, I believe you need a full report of what we found on P4X369."  
  
"Alright son, let's hear it."  
  
"We arrived and found the clearing for the Stargate unguarded as the UAV had indicated it would be. However, both Colonel O'Neill and myself felt uneasy. We left the clearing and proceeded toward what reconnaissance had indicated was the nearest buildings. We found that the buildings seen by the UAV were not in fact all the buildings. There appears to be something creating a camouflaging cover that makes buildings appear to be only jungle. We were approximately twenty yards away from a building before we saw it. We stopped to evaluate the situation. While discussing it, we heard a Jaffa patrol and from what they said, we had already been detected. At that time, Colonel O'Neill directed us to return to the Stargate for evacuation. We split into two groups, with Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill trying to draw the patrol away from Daniel Jackson and myself." Teal'c stopped for a moment, then continued.  
  
"We were discovered by another Jaffa patrol and came under fire. Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter attempted to come to our aid. Colonel O'Neill made it to the clearing and provided cover fire so we could activate the Stargate and go through. Major Carter was cut off and I believe wounded at that time. Colonel O'Neill chose to remain behind in order to recover Major Carter." Teal'c lay back on the bed, his face as expressionless as a piece of stone.  
  
"Thank you, Teal'c. I appreciate you giving me a full rundown. What is your estimation of this camouflaging technology? Is it something to be considered a serious threat?"  
  
"If only this Goa'uld has access to that technology, it is not a great threat. However, if other Goa'uld who are more powerful manage to acquire it, they could easily place bases on planets and we would never know they were there until it was too late. If the Tok'ra have noticed the discrepancy in the naquada productivity in comparison to the supposedly small installation, it is likely the Goa'uld will not be fooled for much longer."  
  
"I agree, Teal'c. We're going to have to neutralize the technology before it can spread to any of the major System Lords. I'm going to have to get permission to send through a strike team to take out the whole operation."  
  
"I believe we should retrieve Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter before we attempt any such operation. I would like to volunteer to go back to get them immediately." He winced as he sat up straight and began swinging his legs off the bed.  
  
"I'm sorry Teal'c, but when you came through, a number of staff weapons were also fired through the wormhole. I have to assume that the gate is now guarded. If we go through, we'll have to be prepared to fight as soon as we step down on the other side. Right now, I don't think we'd be prepared for that. As much as I want to get our people back, I won't throw away the lives of other good people as a futile gesture. I know you'd like to go and I know you'd risk your life to get them back. I appreciate that, but you're in no shape to try it. Get some rest now."  
  
Teal'c swung his legs back up on the bed and leaned back. After a moment, he closed his eyes and began the process of going into a state of kel'noreem. In that state, the symbiote could better heal him and he'd be ready to return to P4X369 that much sooner.  
  
~~~  
  
"General, if Major Carter is wounded, as Teal'c believes her to be, every moment we delay in getting her back adds to the likelihood she won't survive."  
  
"I'm aware of that, doctor. However, as I told Teal'c, and as I'm sure you overheard, we are not currently prepared to make an assault on exiting a Stargate. Our people would be cut down as fast as they could get through. We might succeed, but the losses would be unacceptable."  
  
"But general, this is Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter we're talking about. I don't think you understand."  
  
"Doctor Fraiser, I understand exactly who it is and the value that they provide to the program as a whole and to the relations we have with other cultures we've contacted, including the Tok'ra and the Asgard. Not to mention the effect they have on our own personnel. They're seen as something of a legend, having gone on so many missions and beaten the odds time and again. I still won't throw away the lives of any number of personnel just to retrieve two people. Who those people are doesn't change anything. This subject is not open for further discussion." General Hammond turned and walked out of the infirmary.  
  
~~~  
  
P4X369  
  
Carter lay in the foliage at the edge of the clearing, barely hidden by the fronds of a large plant. She could easily see the six Jaffa from her position. She checked her weapon to be sure it was set for single shot and took aim on the rearmost Jaffa, patiently waiting for O'Neill's signal. Finally, it came, a double-click over the radio to tell her he was in position. She fired a single shot, killing the Jaffa and drawing the attention of the other five. She flipped her selector switch to full auto and pressed herself as firmly into the ground as she could to avoid the retaliation of the Jaffa.  
  
O'Neill saw the five Jaffa turn as one and begin firing into the jungle. For the most part, they were not hitting anywhere near Carter. He checked his weapon to be sure it was on full auto and opened fire, dropping two of them before they had a chance to turn toward the new threat. When they did, Carter opened up on them from the side, taking them out.  
  
O'Neill ran forward and began working the DHD as Carter hobbled her way into the clearing. Moments later the gate came to life.  
  
"Sir, I've sent our code. We're good to go here."  
  
"Good work Carter." He moved to her left side to help support her weight.  
  
"Thanks, sir. I." She passed out before she could finish what she was saying.  
  
O'Neill swept her up into his arms and strode through the gate.  
  
~~~  
  
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth  
  
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The disembodied voice of the computer sounded for the second time in less than eight hours.  
  
General Hammond appeared in the control room only moments after the announcement. "What do we have airman?"  
  
"Sir, the gate just activated and we've got a signal. It's SG-1 sir."  
  
"Open the iris." General Hammond picked up the microphone for the base PA system. "Backup security detail to the gate room immediately." He put down the microphone and looked back at the technician who'd opened the iris. "Be ready to close the iris on my order."  
  
"Sir?" The airman inquired.  
  
"Our people have been cut off in a known hostile environment. Their codes may have been compromised. We can't risk letting a full assault team of Jaffa into our complex."  
  
Moments later, the event horizon rippled and Colonel O'Neill walked down the ramp carrying Major Carter.  
  
"Airman, close the iris," General Hammond commanded.  
  
"Yes, sir." He pushed a button. "Sir, the iris is closed."  
  
"Make a hole! We're going to the infirmary." Colonel O'Neill's voice rang out as he approached the doorway.  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry, but without the general's permission, I can't let you pass."  
  
"Lieutenant, if you don't get your ass out of my way, there's going to be two people needing medical attention. Are we clear."  
  
The Lieutenant swallowed, but stood his ground.  
  
Colonel O'Neill bent down to put Major Carter on the gate room floor, but was interrupted by an announcement from the PA system.  
  
General Hammond saw the altercation and moved to head it off. He picked up the microphone. "Infirmary stand by to receive wounded personnel. Lieutenant, clear a path to the infirmary."  
  
"Sorry sir," the Lieutenant said. He moved out into the hall. "Make a hole! Clear out now."  
  
Colonel O'Neill followed him silently.  
  
~~~  
  
"Colonel? Colonel O'Neill? Jack, would you pay attention?" General Hammond raised his voice.  
  
"Sorry, sir. Where were we?"  
  
"You were about to tell me what happened after Teal'c and Doctor Jackson returned through the Stargate."  
  
Colonel O'Neill shifted uncomfortably in his chair and stared at the wall behind General Hammond. "I withdrew from contact with the Jaffa I'd engaged to allow Daniel and Teal'c to get through the gate. They attempted to follow me, but I was able to eventually elude them. Once I was certain they were not following me, I worked my way back to where Carter and I had been prior to Teal'c's call for help. I then searched the path we'd taken to try to get back to the Stargate as quickly as possible. It wasn't long before I noticed that Carter's footprints indicated a problem with her leg. She was dragging her left foot. A little further on, I found her unconscious. Upon inspecting her, I noted the leg wound and a second wound to her face. I carried her to a spot near the Stargate and happened to overhear the plans for guarding the gate. There were going to be six Jaffa. I knew that trying to take six by myself wasn't a good bet, so I woke Carter up using an ammonia capsule. I explained to her what I wanted to do. She agreed it was our best chance and then we proceeded to implement my plan. It worked. The Jaffa died. We dialed home. Here we are."  
  
"Thank you, Colonel."  
  
"Sir, I'd like to submit Carter for a Bronze Star. I'll have a full write- up ready for you by tomorrow."  
  
"I'm sorry Colonel, but that won't be possible."  
  
"But sir, she deserves it."  
  
"I'm sure she does, but I don't think she can receive both a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for the same action." The general smiled. "Both you and Major Carter will be submitted for the awards before the day is over and I can pretty well guarantee that the President himself will sign off on them. Is there anything else, Colonel?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"Very well. Get out of here and, Colonel, take a shower.?"  
  
"Yes, sir." O'Neill got up and left the general's office.  
  
~~~  
  
A freshly scrubbed Colonel O'Neill arrived at the infirmary to be immediately stopped by Doctor Fraiser. She sniffed the air a couple of times. "That's definitely an improvement." She smiled broadly.  
  
"How are they?" He asked absently as his eyes scanned the room and located his team.  
  
Doctor Fraiser led him to Teal'c's bed. "Since going into kel'noreem, Teal'c is improving at an amazing rate, thanks to Junior."  
  
She moved two beds down to stand beside Daniel Jackson. "Daniel will be okay, but it will probably be at least a month, possibly longer before he's fit for duty. The abdominal muscles are used in so many activities that it will be hard for him to heal any more quickly than that."  
  
Finally, she led him to Major Carter. "Major Carter will be up and around in a week or two, but she'll limp for a while. That's really going to be the easy part. Unfortunately, she's going to have some permanent scarring on the right side of her face. Her mouth and eye are basically undamaged. She's very lucky that the blast merely skimmed her and didn't hit solidly. If it had, she wouldn't be with us." Doctor Fraiser pulled Colonel O'Neill away from the bed and into her office.  
  
"Colonel. I'm confident that she'll recover physically from these wounds in a pretty short time. When dealing with permanent scarring like she's going to have, it's never easy. It's very much a test of her strength to deal with it. She's going to need the support of everyone who's close to her. Our people used to all stare at her with awe when she'd walk by. Now, though." She trailed off, not finishing the sentence.  
  
Colonel O'Neill closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall, a pained expression on his face. A moment later, he opened his eyes, face once again impassive and stood up straight. "Thank you, doctor."  
  
~~~  
  
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth - one month later  
  
SG-1 and at least one member from every other SG team were gathered in the conference room. They were here to discuss P4X369. The meeting had been put off until Doctor Fraiser had cleared all members of SG-1 for duty. There was a constant low-level murmuring as the men and women discussed things and told the occasional joke while awaiting the start of the meeting. General Hammond began to speak and the room quieted immediately.  
  
"We're here to discuss the problem of the new technology we identified on P4X369 and the threat it poses to our security and that of numerous other cultures. The technology appears to be a field generator of some sort. The field creates the illusion that fabricated structures are actually just part of the normal surrounding environment. That means we could walk past an entire installation and never know it was there. It also appears to dampen any signals that might otherwise leak out to indicate a greater presence than originally detected on a survey, such as happened when SG-1 went to investigate the planet. Apparently it was intentional that a small part of the installation was left visible to the casual observer. However, I have no reason to doubt that it can completely hide things as well as partially hiding them. I shouldn't need to stress how much this could affect our operations. Our teams could be ambushed anytime or anywhere if this technology gets into the hands of one of the major System Lords." He paused to let his words sink in.  
  
"Major Carter, you've done some theorization in the lab regarding this technology. Do you have anything you'd like to contribute regarding the camouflage generator?"  
  
Major Carter glanced up at General Hammond, her chin resting in the palm of her right hand, the fingers cupping the side of her face. "No, sir. I'll write it up for everyone."  
  
The general looked surprised for a moment, then continued. "Very well, please make copies of your hypotheses and see that each team gets one after the meeting. Moving on." The general began discussing possible strategies for getting through the guarded Stargate with as little loss of life as possible.  
  
Colonel O'Neill sat directly on Carter's left side. He stared at her, not believing he'd seen and heard her correctly. He noticed her looking at him for a moment, before her eyes returned to the wall behind the general. She had to have seen him staring at her. Whatever was going on in her head, it was about time to put an end to it. She'd been this way ever since she was able to get up and around. She avoided meetings, practically refused to work one-on-one with anyone and now was unwilling to share her knowledge and experience with others.  
  
When asked to do so, Teal'c, Daniel and Colonel O'Neill each gave their impressions of what they'd seen and how heavily they thought the gate would be defended. All the while, Carter simply sat unmoving with her elbow on the table and her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Finally, after nearly two hours, the meeting adjourned.  
  
As soon as the general dismissed the meeting, Carter rose to leave.  
  
"Major Carter?" O'Neill called out. "A moment, please."  
  
She nodded and moved back into the room, leaning her right shoulder against the wall and letting the others file past her.  
  
"Teal'c?" O'Neill waved him over, then quietly spoke to him. "As soon as everyone else is out of the room, lock the door and pull it closed behind you. Don't allow anyone within ten feet of the door, yourself included. If someone tries to get closer, zat them."  
  
"I have no zat with me."  
  
"I have that covered." O'Neill opened a bag he'd brought to the meeting and handed the Jaffa the weapon.  
  
Teal'c followed the last of the SG team members out of the conference room. He locked the door and pulled it shut behind him.  
  
O'Neill walked over to the security camera and disconnected the feed. He then moved over to the conference table and pulled the cord out of the microphone.  
  
"What are you doing sir?"  
  
"Something I should have done a week ago, maybe longer. We're going to have a discussion."  
  
"About what, sir?" She stared at the wall ahead of her, not looking at him.  
  
"Carter, look at me when I'm talking to you."  
  
She focused her eyes on him without moving.  
  
"No, Carter, don't move your eyes to look at me. I mean turn and face me. Now."  
  
She hesitated, her jaw clenching and unclenching. "Sir, I don't see what that has to do with anything you'd want to talk about."  
  
"Obviously you're faculties have become impaired since your injury. Now, face me. That's an order."  
  
She turned to face him, the anger clear on her face, both the unblemished side and the side that was scarred so badly.  
  
"That's better. Now, was that so hard?"  
  
"Sir, what's the point of this?"  
  
"The point is, Carter that you're allowing the injury you suffered to prevent you from doing your job. Sure, your face isn't the same as it was before the injury. That doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't do your job. It also doesn't mean people won't pay attention to you. You're still you. Everyone knows that."  
  
"You don't understand, sir. They stare at me. I can't shake the feeling that they're not looking at me or listening to me. They're only looking at the scars."  
  
O'Neill walked toward her and took her by the shoulders. "The scars are part of you. They are a part of who you are, but only a part. They don't define the whole."  
  
Carter's eyes began to fill with tears. "I know that, sir. It's just that.I feel like the circus freak that everyone stares at, the one that scares the children when they look at it."  
  
O'Neill raised his left hand and cupped the scarred side of her face. "Just because this is different than it used to be doesn't mean it's not you. When I look at you, I see the same idealistic Captain who threatened to arm wrestle me to get on the team. I see the same person I refused to leave behind in that mothership when we were separated by a force field. For me, nothing has changed. You're still the same Samantha Carter. You need to see that. You need to believe that, to believe in yourself."  
  
Carter looked up at him and smiled, then began to cry. O'Neill held her as she did so, waiting for her to finally relax and stop shaking. After a few minutes, she did and looked up at him.  
  
"Thank you, sir." She stepped back and wiped the last of the tears from her face, then noticed the damp spot on the front of his uniform. "I'm sorry about that."  
  
"Think nothing of it, Major." He gave her his most charming smile.  
  
She smiled back just as the sound of a zat came from out in the hall.  
  
"Uh-oh," the quiet words came from Colonel O'Neill.  
  
"Uh-oh, sir? What does that mean?"  
  
He explained about Teal'c, the zat and his order regarding anyone approaching the conference room.  
  
Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter stepped out into the hall to find Sergeant Siler on the ground trying to get his bearings.  
  
"Teal'c what did you shoot Siler for?"  
  
"Your instructions were very clear, O'Neill. Shoot anyone who comes within ten feet of the door. I attempted to dissuade Sergeant Siler, but he insisted that the camera and microphone in the conference room had suffered damage and that he had to fix them. When he refused to comply with my request that he wait until later, I indicated my willingness to disable him. Quite apparently, he did not believe me."  
  
"Quite apparently. Siler, you'll find that the camera and microphone have been disconnected. When you're able to get up, feel free to reconnect them. Teal'c, thanks for your assistance."  
  
The Jaffa inclined his head in acknowledgement. "If my services are no longer required, I will retire to my quarters." He handed the zat to Colonel O'Neill and walked away.  
  
Carter looked at O'Neill. "What now, sir?"  
  
"I was thinking dinner in the mess hall. I'm buying."  
  
"But sir, it's free."  
  
"Okay, so Uncle Sam's buying." He shrugged. "Come on. I hear they have green Jello."  
  
They ate dinner with sporadic, but comfortable conversation. When they were leaving the mess hall, Carter stopped O'Neill. "Sir, I really appreciate you taking the time to try to help me when I was behaving so poorly toward everyone."  
  
"Hey, what's an OIC for, if not to apply the boot to the backside from time to time? I take it this means you're willing to try coming back and being an integral part of the team again?"  
  
"Yes, sir. I'd like that."  
  
"Good to have you back, Carter. Daniel was beginning to convince me that the real you had been abducted by aliens." He saw the smile cross her face and was glad to see her sense of humor had improved as well. "See you tomorrow."  
  
"Good night, sir." She headed back to her quarters, smiling as she walked, oblivious to all those around her.  
  
~~~  
  
Asgard Vessel, Earth Orbit  
  
Two gray-skinned Asgard stood silently on the bridge of their ship, observing the last remarks between Carter and O'Neill.  
  
Thor looked at Heimdall for a while then spoke. "Having listened to the entire interplay between Carter and O'Neill, do you believe that this qualifies as the change you were waiting for?"  
  
"Indeed it does. She had to come to this realization. If we'd have interfered, it could have created worse problems. Now we know that she can feel secure in the person she is, not just what she looks like. She also knows this. That is the key to her recovery."  
  
"Very well, when she has fallen asleep, we will bring her here and you can repair her injuries. It would have been much more expedient to simply repair them immediately."  
  
They'd been over this before, many times. "Yes, but they are not like us. They do not think like us or react like us. By doing so, we could have had a detrimental effect. By waiting, we know she will have no self doubt."  
  
"They are a young race, Heimdall, and I do not always understand them."  
  
"They are indeed young, but they have much potential."  
  
The two Asgard sat in silence for nearly three hours before there was a beep at Heimdall's console.  
  
"Sensors indicate that she has fallen asleep."  
  
~~~  
  
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth  
  
Major Carter awoke, feeling relieved. She was ready to face the world again. But first, she needed a shower.  
  
She didn't bother to turn on any lights in her quarters, just walked to the bathroom and flipped the switch to turn on the light and the vent fan before shutting the door. She showered and washed her hair, dried off and went back into her living area to get dressed.  
  
She flipped on the light and went to the closet to grab her clothes. She quickly threw on her BDUs and then moved to the vanity to comb her hair. She was in the process of getting a tangle out of the hair on the right side of her head behind her ear when she realized that there wasn't normally hair there to untangle. At least not recently. She looked in the mirror and her mouth dropped open. She cautiously put a hand up to her face and felt it. All that was there was smooth skin. Her earlobe was back, too.  
  
She picked up the phone and dialed Colonel O'Neill's number. She began speaking as soon as she heard the receiver picked up. "Sir, you have to see this. It's incredible."  
  
A groggy O'Neill replied, "what's that?"  
  
"Sir come to my quarters. You've got to see this to believe it."  
  
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up the phone.  
  
Ten minutes later, O'Neill knocked on Carter's door.  
  
She opened it and let him in. "Well, what do you think?" She smiled broadly at him.  
  
"What do you mean, what do I think? About what?"  
  
She smiled a more satisfied smile as she realized he'd told her the truth when he'd told her how he saw her. He didn't notice the injury when he looked at her, so he didn't notice its absence now. She pointed at her hair. "What do you think?"  
  
O'Neill couldn't believe that she'd gotten him up at 0530 to look at her hair. Then it dawned on him. Since the injury, the hair on that side of her head had been very stunted by burns. He gave her a big grin. "Carter, what's happened to you?"  
  
"Well, sir, I think I was abducted by aliens."  
  
He walked forward and put his left hand to her cheek and gently ran his thumb across it. She leaned into it. Their eyes locked and they stood there for half a minute before they were interrupted.  
  
"Unscheduled offworld activation." The voice echoed through the complex.  
  
The moment broken, they both headed out the door at a run.  
  
~~~  
  
What do you think? Please review and let me know. - Chapter 2 is in development. 


	2. Chapter 2

Legal Note: Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, General Hammond, Dr. Fraiser and other characters appearing in the series don't belong to me. They belong to Gekko, Double Secret, etc. The story does belong to me. This fiction has been written for then enjoyment of fans and not for profit or compensation of any kind, nor will any be accepted. You get the idea.  
  
Author's Note: Please read and review. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome, as it will improve future writing.  
  
Thanks to Sych77 for offering to Beta for me. It's much appreciated.  
  
~~~  
  
Cheyenne Mountain, Earth  
  
Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c and Daniel Jackson filed into the briefing room and sat down around the table. They had just begun talking quietly amongst themselves when General Hammond arrived. He immediately took his seat at the head of the table.  
  
"People, the President agrees with our opinion regarding the technology you discovered on P4X369. He has authorized us to take the necessary actions to ensure that it will not fall into the hands of a system lord. That said, it's time we work up a plan for assaulting the planet. Approach from space is not an option; we don't have enough transports handy to get us there, nor would those we do have be able to land and deploy troops undetected. Any questions, thoughts or suggestions?"  
  
Major Carter spoke up immediately. "Yes, sir. I have a question."  
  
"Carter, I was gonna say that would be a little fast even for you to come up with a solution." O'Neill leaned back in his chair, a small smirk on his face.  
  
"Thanks sir." She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to General Hammond. "I was about to ask if we'd found out who the Goa'uld running the planet happens to be."  
  
"Actually, I haven't received any information on that yet."  
  
"His name is Koltec." Selmak's voice cut through the air and drew everyone's attention.  
  
"Hi, dad."  
  
"Hello, Sam." Jacob Carter smiled at his daughter.  
  
"Jacob, Selmak, it's good to see you both. I'm glad you're here. Please sit." General Hammond indicated a chair next to Major Carter.  
  
"Thank you, general," Selmak replied.  
  
O'Neill gave a little half wave in greeting. "Guys, nice to see you."  
  
Teal'c inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement of their presence. Daniel looked up from a book he'd been studying and then jerked slightly as he recognized them.  
  
"Jacob, Selmak, how long have you been here? I didn't notice you come in."  
  
"We've only just arrived, Daniel." Jacob replied.  
  
"Alright, would you two stop doing that? Am I the only one who finds this split personality thing just a little creepy?" O'Neill looked around the table for agreement, but instead of agreeing, the others simply stared at him. "Hey, come on now. One minute he's Jacob, the next he's Selmak. I keep waiting for his head to start spinning around."  
  
Carter, Daniel and the general had to work to keep themselves from laughing. Not understanding the reference, Teal'c simply raised an eyebrow and continued staring at O'Neill. Jacob shook his head and looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"Okay, back to the subject at hand." General Hammond's voice pulled all eyes to him. "We now know the name of the Goa'uld. Koltec. Doctor Jackson, do you know anything about this one? I've certainly never heard of him."  
  
"The name isn't familiar to me, general. Maybe Selmak knows something about him."  
  
"The Tok'ra do not have much information on Koltec. From what I've been able to determine, he is only a minor Goa'uld. Not close to being a system lord. However, rumor has it that Hathor was his mother."  
  
"What suggestions do you all have for making a successful assault with minimal casualties? Politically, we can't afford a bloodbath, regardless of the danger we might be in. I'll give you a few minutes to think, but then I need some ideas."  
  
General Hammond sat at the conference room table, unconsciously tapping his fingers on the surface. He glanced from one face to another, trying to get a measure of the others who sat with him. Colonel O'Neill stared intently at a yo-yo he was playing with. Major Carter was leaning forward on the table, chin resting on her hands and staring at the wall. Jacob Carter/Selmak sat almost unnaturally still. They'd come together in order to plan the assault on P4X369, but so far they'd only managed to agree that it was unlikely they would be able to get a foothold on the planet without experiencing heavy casualties. He stopped his fingers and broke the silence.  
  
"Colonel O'Neill, would you please stop playing with that yo-yo?"  
  
"But sir, I was about to walk the dog!" The yo-yo had stopped going up and down and was now hanging at the end of its string.  
  
"Colonel!"  
  
"Yes, sir." O'Neill rolled up the string and placed the yo-yo on the table.  
  
"Has anyone come up with any idea that we can evaluate?" General Hammond scanned the faces around him.  
  
Colonel O'Neill put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds then replied.  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud, general. Why don't we just frag them? Throw a bunch of grenades through and then go through ourselves."  
  
"Colonel, the kill radius on grenades is great enough that we'd be cutting our own people to pieces if we used a mass grenade attack. You know that."  
  
"Not necessarily, sir." Major Carter spoke up. "I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. I mean, just think about it. What is one of the primary things we've taken for granted in wormhole physics?" Her question was greeted by blank stares. "Okay, let me draw it for you."  
  
Major Carter got up and walked to the whiteboard. She picked up an erasable marker and began to draw. "Okay, we're here. This is our Stargate." She drew a circle on the near edge of the board. "This is our destination." She drew another circle at the far edge of the board. "And this is the wormhole." She drew two parallel lines between the two circles. "When we open a wormhole, we go from point A to point B." She drew and arrow indicating the direction of travel. "We know that nothing physical can come back from point B to point A when the wormhole was established with point A as the origin." She paused and looked around the room with a big smile, waiting for the knowing nods to come. They didn't.  
  
"Don't you see? The Colonel is right. We can throw grenades through the gate from our side. We can saturate the area and none of the fragments will come back through the gate. If we throw several volleys of grenades through, we should have a good shot at being able to get our forces on the ground with no initial casualties." This time nods of agreement met her eyes as she looked around the room.  
  
"I did not realize you knew that much about wormhole physics, O'Neill," Teal'c commented.  
  
"Me either," O'Neill mumbled under his breath before giving everyone a very large self-satisfied smile.  
  
"Yeah, who woulda thunk it," Carter added.  
  
"Okay. I think we've got our plan. Tomorrow we'll put it into action. You're dismissed." General Hammond sat in his chair and watched as the others quickly left the room.  
  
~~~  
  
Jacob/Selmak caught up with the members of SG-1 in the hall on the way to the mess hall.  
  
"Sam?" Jacob asked questioningly.  
  
At the sound of Jacob's voice, they all stopped and turned toward him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'd heard you were badly injured on your last mission. My duties kept me from checking in on you until now. I guess the reports I received were wrong."  
  
"Not exactly." Carter looked uncomfortable and looked at the floor.  
  
"Jacob, Sam was injured," Daniel interjected. He went on to explain the nature of her injuries.  
  
"Then how do you explain this miraculous recovery? Regardless of how capable I believe Dr. Fraiser to be, I know there's no way she could have done what was necessary to heal such injuries this well."  
  
"That's true, dad, but the Asgard could and did."  
  
"That's extremely unusual for the Asgard to take such a position as to intervene in a situation like this. It could indicate a significant change in their political policy."  
  
"I wouldn't bet on that, dad."  
  
"Jacob, like I've been telling everyone else, Thor has a thing for Carter and the whole battle hardened, burned, bad attitude thing just wasn't working for him so he."  
  
"Colonel," Carter interrupted him sharply. She glared at him, holding his gaze until he looked away.  
  
"Okay, okay. Sheesh, try to have a little fun and get into trouble." He paused a moment and then looked at Jacob. "Actually, I asked Thor about that myself. He and Heimdall both felt the Asgard people owed Carter and SG-1 a great debt. Those were their words. So, they spirited her off to their ship while she was asleep and fixed her up good as new. I'm not even sure she noticed until we met in the control room that morning when SG-7 returned early from a mission."  
  
"Indeed, we were all greatly surprised when she appeared and retained no markings from her injuries," Teal'c added.  
  
What O'Neill didn't mention was that there had been politically motivated reasons behind the healing as well. Only himself, Major Carter and General Hammond, knew those reasons. SG-1 was not only the first and best of the SG teams; its members were widely respected for things they accomplished. Often that led to requests for one or more of them to participate in negotiations between parties on a planet or to act as liaison between earth and the government on another planet. The same strong, dependable Carter everyone had come to know and rely on was badly needed. The Asgard had feared that not reversing the physical change might somehow create unforeseen emotional or psychological changes that had not yet manifested.  
  
"Well, then why didn't they take care of it immediately instead of waiting so long? The last I heard, she'd been recovering for nearly a month. If the Asgard were going to intervene, why'd they wait so long?"  
  
"You, Mr. Tok'ra, who always wants us to understand when something your people could do right away isn't done, have the audacity to ask that question?" O'Neill paused, letting the intentionally needling response work for a while.  
  
"Those are completely different situations."  
  
"Yeah, you keep convincing yourself of that, Jacob." O'Neill held the older man's eyes for a moment before continuing. "I asked Thor the same question, and." he was interrupted by Carter.  
  
"Dad, the truth is that the Asgard weren't here right when I was brought back through the gate. When Thor heard that I'd been injured, he and Heimdall came to assess my condition, only they found that I wasn't dealing with the situation very well. Thor was in favor of just picking me up and making the repairs, but Heimdall refused to perform the operation on me until I'd learned to accept the adversity life had dealt me. He believed it to be psychologically significant. They hung around until they both agreed I'd lived and learned and that I was ready to move on. Next thing you know, I get up in the morning, get ready and go to the control room and everyone comments on how there's been a miracle." Like Colonel O'Neill, she left out the facts that she'd noticed the change and that the Colonel had visited her quarters that morning and also become aware of the change before the alarm had been sounded.  
  
~~~  
  
"So, Teal'c you didn't have anything to say about our plan for getting through the Stargate."  
  
"Many Jaffa will die, O'Neill. It is likely that some of them would support our cause, given a chance to do so." Teal'c returned to checking his gear to be sure he had everything he needed.  
  
"So, you don't think we should use the grenades to soften up their defenses?"  
  
"I did not say that. I merely pointed out that many Jaffa will die."  
  
"Do you have any suggestions that might prove as effective?"  
  
"I do not."  
  
O'Neill flipped back the Velcro cover on his watch and checked the time. "Fifteen minutes until we start the assault."  
  
"Is it not unusual that Major Carter, Daniel Jackson and the other teams are not here yet?" The sound of rapidly moving boots on the cement floor drew his attention.  
  
"Looks like the Major decided to join us after all." O'Neill smiled at Teal'c then gave the Carter a nod in greeting. "Major."  
  
"Sorry sir, but I thought of something on my way here. We really don't have any idea how strong a contingent of Jaffa we'll be meeting. It might be thirty or forty and it might be more. I stopped off at the general's office to request double the usual amount of ammunition for everyone. The general is arranging it now."  
  
"Good thinking, Carter. Say, you don't know where Daniel is, do you?"  
  
"I saw him earlier and he said something about making sure he had several batteries for his digital camcorder in case he got the opportunity to record something." As she spoke, Daniel walked through the doorway.  
  
"Am I late?"  
  
"No, Daniel, you're not late. I'd still like to have people here at least half an hour before going through the gate when the other side is going to be the equivalent of a hot LZ."  
  
The sound of marching feet drew everyone's attention as the Marines from SG- 3, SG-5 and SG-16 arrived in the gateroom.  
  
"Squad, halt!" Lieutenant Colonel Johnson, the senior Marine, called out loudly. "Right face! When the command to fall out is given you will assemble in your respective teams and await further orders. Is that understood?"  
  
An immediate collective response of "Yes, Sir!" came from the Marines.  
  
"Fall out." Lieutenant Colonel Johnson turned away from his men and strode toward O'Neill. The others broke up into their teams and began to talk and joke quietly amongst themselves.  
  
"Sir, the Marines are assembled and ready to embark." He paused a moment then continued. "We'd have been here sooner, but we received an order from Generall Hammond to stop by the armory to draw extra ammunition, grenades and other supplies for the assault. The airman in charge of handing out gear made the mistake of telling some of the men that they could take what they wanted for the assault." He shook his head and smiled. "Never tell a Marine he can have his pick of the armory in any amount he wants. Thompson found a .50 Cal recoilless and a box of ammunition for it. Simmons picked up a rotary grenade launcher. Jenkins and Hawthorne picked up a pair of SAWs."  
  
"It looks like the Marines took me seriously when I told them to raid the armory," General Hammond said before pointing to a wooden box on a cart that was being pulled by Sgt. Siler. "Colonel O'Neill, you and your team need to draw your extra ammunition now."  
  
"You heard him. Teal'c, Daniel, Carter. Load up." He walked over and looked into the box, then stopped. "Siler, how'd you end up dragging this stuff around?" O'Neill reached in and brought out several magazines for his P-90 and stuck them into his backpack.  
  
"Same way I ended up getting zatted by Teal'c. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, sir."  
  
"Siler?" Carter interrupted.  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"What's this?" She held up a combat knife in a cordura sheath.  
  
"SOG Midnight Tiger, ma'am."  
  
"Yeah?" She pulled the knife from its sheath and looked at the blackened blade, then reversed her grip on it, checking the balance. "Nice."  
  
"It's definitely you, Carter," O'Neill said as he watcher her test the edge.  
  
"You think?" She sheathed the knife and fastened it to her combat harness.  
  
From the far corner of the room one of the Marines spoke a little too loudly. "Like she'd know what to do with a combat knife anyway." The others around him snickered.  
  
Carter slowly turned her head and fixed the Marine with an icy stare. "Easy, Carter." O'Neill said in a quiet voice and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Belay that bullshit right now Marine!" Lieutenant Colonel Johnson's voice cut sharply through the room.  
  
Teal'c's calm voice followed it. "I can assure you that Major Carter is indeed proficient with an edged weapon."  
  
General Hammond spoke up. "People, we are a few minutes from launching our assault. I expect you to focus on that, not on what you think someone else can or can't do." He gazed at the group of Marines for a moment. "Or if you think you or someone else has been insulted." This time he looked at SG-1. Carter, O'Neill and Teal'c all nodded. Daniel Jackson, as usual was reading a book and not listening.  
  
"Of course general. Focus is not a problem for us, right guys? We're always focused. In fact."  
  
"Colonel!"  
  
O'Neill waved a hand in surrender. "Yes, sir."  
  
"Okay, clear the ramp. Begin dialing. As soon as the event horizon stabilizes, I want people in place to begin the saturation."  
  
When the wormhole was stabilized, three of the Marines moved forward and took up positions in close to the event horizon. Each one had half a dozen grenades attached to a combat harness. Four SF's carrying M-16s with M203 grenade launchers on them moved into place behind the Marines on the ramp.  
  
"Begin." General Hammond's voice carried easily through the quiet room. The rest of you get ready to go through the gate as soon as we're done softening up the defenses.  
  
The Marines began taking grenades from their harnesses, pulling the pins and lobbing them through the gate.  
  
Please don't let them drop one. The thought came unbidden to General Hammond's mind as he watched the Marines pitching the grenades. Moments later, the Marines moved down the ramp and the SF's came forward. The first rank of 3 knelt and the second rank stood. At a nod from the general, they emptied their launchers through the gate, knowing that their 40mm grenades would reach out further than those that were thrown by the Marines.  
  
"Okay people, move out and good luck."  
  
This was one time O'Neill didn't mind not being the first group through the gate. He watched as SG-3 disappeared and SG-5 was preparing to go through. SG-16 was close behind them.  
  
"Okay, just like we planned it. Teal'c and I move left. Carter, you and Daniel go right. As soon as we're clear of the steps, we hit the ground and evaluate the situation. Keep your interval. Move."  
  
SG-1 started up the ramp a few seconds behind SG-16. A moment later, they entered the wormhole.  
  
~~~  
  
P4X369  
  
O'Neill hit the ground and made a quick visual survey of the area. The bodies of twenty or more Jaffa littered the clearing. Two Marines lay unmoving about thirty feet in front of him. One was staring up at the sky. The other was face down, his rifle several feet away. The only others in the clearing were SG-1. There was sporadic automatic weapons fire coming from in the trees ahead of them. Occasionally the sound of a zat or a staff could also be heard.  
  
"Johnson, report," O'Neill said quietly into his microphone.  
  
"We've moved on from the clearing, sir. Initially we met resistance. A heavy weapon station that somehow survived the grenades killed Ellis. Wang tried to pull him back and was hit too. We took it out and are hunting down any stragglers we can find out here."  
  
"We'll be moving out shortly."  
  
"Understood,sir."  
  
O'Neill heard footsteps behind him and rolled onto his back, bringing his P- 90 to bear.  
  
"Easy sir," an SF named Anderson said. "General Hammond sent us through to hold the gate."  
  
O'Neill could see what looked like a dozen SFs standing around and marveling at their surroundings.  
  
"Well, spread out and try to not be easy targets then."  
  
"Yes, sir." Anderson quickly got his men away from the gate and into positions around the edge of the clearing.  
  
"Colonel." Major Carter's voice drew his attention. "Switch to the alternate channel now. You're going to want to hear this." O'Neill twisted the knob on his radio to channel four. "This is O'Neill. Go ahead."  
  
~~~~  
  
What did you think? Please review and let me know. The third chapter is currently in development. 


	3. Chapter 3

Legal Note: Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter, Teal'c, Daniel Jackson, General Hammond, Dr. Fraiser and other characters appearing in the series don't belong to me. They belong to Gekko, Double Secret, etc. The story does belong to me. This fiction has been written for then enjoyment of fans. It has not been written for profit or compensation of any kind, nor will any be accepted. You get the idea.  
  
Author's Note (1): Sorry about the delay in getting this out. Health problems, computer problems and lost files contributed greatly to the delay (had to rewrite this part entirely), as did misplacing my copy of MS Office and not being able to find it when I went to reload. :-(  
  
Author's Note (2): Thanks for the reviews of previous chapters. Please read and review this one. Comments and suggestions are welcome. Constructive criticism is welcome, as it will improve future writing.  
  
Thanks to Sych77 for offering to Beta for me. It's much appreciated.  
  
---  
  
O'Neill listened carefully to the report he was hearing, acknowledged the report, then switched channels with a look of disgust. "Listen up. A Tok'ra scout ship in orbit around this planet just picked up two mother ships dropping out of hyperspace. They'll be here within three hours. That doesn't give us a lot of time. We need to move quickly. I want to be in and out before those ships can land troops. Any questions?" There were none.  
  
Carter appeared next to him and asked him quietly, "Sir, do you think it's wise to try to race the clock like this?"  
  
"We don't have any alternative. Those mother ships probably mean that another Goa'uld has learned something and is coming to take over the operation. If that happens, the camouflaging technology will be taken too. Eventually someone higher on the System Lord food chain is going to get it and then we'll be in trouble." He climbed to his feet. "Teal'c, Daniel, it's time for us to move." He turned to face Anderson. "Hold the gate. We're going to be racing the clock and this is our only way off this planet."  
  
Anderson swallowed visibly, then replied. "We'll be here, sir."  
  
O'Neill started to turn away then stopped. "Have one of your men listen to our alternate frequency. We may get some intel updates. Let me know if you hear anything."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
O'Neill set off at a jog, hoping they could get in and out without too many complications.  
  
Within half an hour, all teams were making their way through the buildings that had been passed off as foliage. There were sporadic firefights, most of which lasted less than a minute. It was clear that the Jaffa were retreating. Ten minutes later the reason became clear.  
  
O'Neill crept forward and peered around the edge of building. A group of twenty Jaffa stood outside a large low stone building. Two of them manned heavy weapons platforms. The rest held their staff weapons at the ready. O'Neill looked at his watch and then keyed his mic.  
  
"Johnson, I seem to recall you saying one of your men brought a grenade launcher. I think this it the time to put it to use. We'll lay down fire to try to force them to take cover around the weapons. Have your man drop several grenades on each station. Let me know when he's ready."  
  
"Yes, sir. I'll let you know." A few minutes later, his men were in position. "We're ready Colonel."  
  
"Is everyone in position?" O'Neill's voice came clearly across the open channel. When no one spoke up, he gave the command to begin. "Open fire."  
  
Six Jaffa dropped in the first moments of the fusillade. The others, as predicted moved to take cover behind the weapons platforms. As soon as they did so, the sound of grenades being launched could be heard clearly. Two grenades landed near one of the platforms, shredding the Jaffa manning it and those that had been huddled around it to avoid incoming fire. The Jaffa around the other platform realized their predicament and moved to get out of the blast radius as the next volley of grenades hit. Those that survived the grenades were quickly cut down by gunfire. The Jaffa had only managed to get off a few shots, none of which struck home.  
  
"Cease fire. Cease fire. Move in. Be sure to check all of the downed Jaffa. We don't need any surprises."  
  
A few minutes later, Teal'c called O'Neill to the building's entrance. "This door has been locked from the inside. It is unlikely that we will have sufficient time to circumvent this."  
  
"Carter, did you bring some C-4?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Open the door then."  
  
"Yes, sir." She began making some small charges to place when she noticed Teal'c shaking his head. "Not enough?"  
  
"You will need more than that to open the door, Major Carter."  
  
She doubled the size of the charges. "Will that do it?"  
  
"Perhaps."  
  
She increased the size of the charges to triple the original amount and then turned to Teal'c and waited for his comment.  
  
"That should be sufficient to allow us to enter."  
  
Carter placed the charges and then carefully inserted the detonators. "Clear out." She ushered everyone away from the doorway and ducked behind the corner of another building. "Fire in the hole." She pressed the button on her remote and the charges went off concurrently. A rain of dirt and chunks of stone peppered the buildings that sheltered the SG teams.  
  
When the dust cleared, O'Neill ordered the teams forward. The door had been opened, but barely. It was twisted inward enough to let two men go through at a time. The stone front of the building was gone above the doorway and for several meters to each side of it. Walls that looked to be constructed of the same materials used in Goa'uld mother ships were now exposed.  
  
All but Teal'c and O'Neill were through the breach. O'Neill checked his watch again as Teal'c went through the opening. Nearly an hour had elapsed since they got word of the mother ships coming toward them. As he ducked through, he heard weapons fire from not far ahead.  
  
_"Colonel,"_ O'Neill's radio crackled. _"We've met heavy resistance. We're trying to force our way through, but we're bottlenecked by a narrow hall."_ The sound of an explosion, probably a grenade, carried across the open channel. _"I think we'll be able to dislodge them, but it's going to be a matter of attrition. The only cover we have is hiding behind the corners of the walls. We can't get into a position to effectively return fire. We ..."_ The sound of another explosion drowned out what Johnson was saying. _"... to clear the way."  
_  
O'Neill signaled Teal'c to follow him and started forward at a run. Less than thirty seconds later, he could see Carter and Daniel crouched down along the wall ahead of him. Beyond them the hallway teed. There was a hall leading left, which was apparently guarded and the hall they were in continued only a short way past it and ended at a closed door. The area behind the door was a storage locker with no other exits. There was no option to go to the right.  
  
The Marines were split, with half of them on each side of the guarded hall. Johnson acknowledged O'Neill's presence with a nod. "We're trying to clear out the Jaffa, but they're holding their position from alcoves that protect them from fire. So far, we've been unable to remove them with grenades. They either don't get far enough or go too far. In either case, the Jaffa are able to duck in behind the corners and avoid the shrapnel."  
  
"Sir," Carter began speaking but was drowned out by the sound of another explosion.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said we should try a bank shot. Think pool. If you don't have a direct line to a ball, you can use the rail and get to it off the bounce. Just bounce a grenade in."  
  
Johnson looked puzzled. "So how do you figure the angle? There's not a lot of time to be looking and calculating."  
  
"When she gets technical, it's best not to ask. She might really tell you." O'Neill received a short glare from Carter before she answered.  
  
"Easy. At least a few of our weapons have laser sights on them. We'll use one to mark the point on the wall to bounce the grenade. We adjust it based on how short or how long the throw goes. Grenades aren't exactly round and they won't bounce or roll true, but we should be able to narrow down the trajectory within a few tries."  
  
Carter noticed one of the Marines on the far side of the intersection using a small steel mirror to look around the corner and down the hall. "You, Marine!" He looked up and Carter noticed it was the one who'd insulted her earlier. "You're my spotter. Use your mirror and watch where my grenade goes. Tell me if it's long or short."  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"You and you," she picked out two other Marines, one on each side of the hall. "I when I tell you, I want you to lay down enough fire to keep the Jaffa hiding so I can get a look at the hall." They nodded. She inched forward. "Now."  
  
The Marines opened up with several three round bursts. Carter took a quick look and gauged about where the impact point should be, then moved back. "Cease fire!" The Marines stopped, dropped their magazines and inserted fresh ones, while Carter took a P90 from Johnson. A few staff blasts struck the corners where the Marines had taken cover.  
  
"Thanks, sir." She noted the red dot on the floor from the laser sight, and then laid the weapon on the ground. "Okay, make them take cover again so I can line this up."  
  
The Marines began firing down the hall and continued until Carter was sure she had the mark where she wanted it. "Okay, you're going to need to hit them a little harder now so I have time to throw. And you," she indicated the Marine with the mirror, "be ready to mark where it ends up." He nodded, as the rate of fire picked up.  
  
Carter moved out where she could see the mark, pulled the pin and threw the grenade. She noted that she was short of her mark by a foot or more as she moved back. "Cover," she called. The Marines pulled back from their firing positions. The explosion sounded a few seconds later. She looked to the Marine with the mirror.  
  
"Short ma'am. Hard to tell exactly how much, but probably by five feet."  
  
Carter pulled another grenade from her combat harness. "Okay, are we ready to try this again?" All three Marines nodded. "Then, let's go."  
  
Carter shook her head as the explosion sounded, knowing the answer before she heard the report.  
  
"Long, ma'am. Several feet I'd guess."  
  
"Carter?" Colonel O'Neill stepped forward and tapped her on the shoulder. "We don't have all day here."  
  
"I know that, sir. It's not easy to hit an exact point on the wall. I was short of my mark the first time and long the second time. In each case, the final resting point of the grenade followed suit."  
  
"Why don't you let me try? I used to throw the baseball around a lot."  
  
"Have at it, sir." She handed him the grenade she'd been getting ready to use.  
  
"Thank you." He poked his head around the corner, not waiting for cover fire and noted the spot on the wall. "Alright, light them up." He stepped up found the mark again and threw the grenade, then moved back. The explosion came moments later and sounded a bit more muffled than previous explosions.  
  
"Nice shot, sir. You scored. Looks like the Jaffa from across the hall was also hit. He's trying to crawl away."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
The Marine poked his head around the corner to confirm what he thought he could see from the mirror. There was a detached arm lying in the hall. "Pretty sure, sir."  
  
Carter was incredulous. "I can't believe you got it on the first shot."  
  
O'Neill smiled. "I'm just that good." He looked around to be sure everyone was getting ready to move. "Okay, let's go. SG-3, take the lead."  
  
A short burst of gunfire told O'Neill that the Jaffa was now dead.  
  
A few minutes later, Johnson's voice came across the radio. _"Sir, we've found what looks something like an elevator. I'm guessing there must be one or more levels below us." _Johnson didn't sound happy about the discovery.  
  
"Teal'c, go see what he's found."  
  
Teal'c nodded and took off in the direction SG-3 had gone and moments later radioed O'Neill. _"It is indeed an elevator. These are typically used for transporting equipment and minerals. It is possible that there are active mines are below us."  
_  
"Johnson, take SG-5 with you and check it out. SG-16, you're with us." The two remaining Marines from SG-16 silently stepped forward.  
  
It wasn't long before they found a room with some sort of large electronic device in it. It was humming with power. None of them had seen anything like it before.  
  
"Carter, what do you think? Is this it?" O'Neill watched as she hurried over to a console on the near side of the machine.  
  
"I'd say that's a good bet, sir. It's drawing quite a bit of power and doesn't seem to be doing much other than that as far as I can tell. Daniel, can you read any of this?" She waved a hand at the console.  
  
Daniel cleaned his glasses on his shirt, put them back on and peered at the console. "Yes, I can read it. You're not going to believe this." He pointed to a knob that had a line on it and a label above it and below it. "Loosely translated, it says 'camouflage on' above the knob and 'camouflage off' below the knob." The line was pointing up, which corresponded to the condition they had encountered outside.  
  
"Johnson, we've located the device." O'Neill didn't bother to say more.  
  
_"Great news, sir. We've found a pretty extensive mine system here. It seems to be automated. They've got tons of ore piled up waiting to get put through some process. I'm guessing it's waiting to be refined. There's also a significant amount of what I'm guessing is refined material down here. It's very heavy."  
_  
Daniel spoke up. "Refined Naqadah is heavy. How much is there?"  
  
_"Looks like about a dozen pieces the size of a brick."_  
  
O'Neill broke in. "Do you think you could bring one of the bricks up here?"  
  
_"A full brick is probably too heavy. Would a small one do? One of the men just pointed out that there is one about a quarter the size of the others. I think it's light enough we can carry it up without too much difficulty."  
_  
"That should do. I want to augment our C-4 with it."  
  
"But sir, we need to study this." Carter looked at him, waiting for a response.  
  
"Study it as fast as you can Carter. This machine is too big to take back with us and we sure can't leave it for the Goa'uld who's coming this way."  
  
She nodded. "You're right, sir." She began working to remove panels from the machine so she could see what the inside looked like. "Daniel, would you write down what all the labels on the console can be translated to mean?"  
  
"I'm on it Sam." He had a notebook out and was making a sketch of the console, carefully numbering the items that were on it and rapidly making notes to correspond to the numbers. A few minutes later, he was done. He closed the notebook and returned it to his backpack.  
  
O'Neill pulled back the Velcro strip covering his watch and looked at it. They had an hour or so until the Goa'uld mothership would be in orbit. "Carter, while you're examining the thingamajig, Daniel, Teal'c and I are going to go see if we can find the Goa'uld. I'll leave SG-16 here with you."  
  
Carter didn't look up from what she was doing. "Okay, sir."  
  
"Marines, keep an eye on the major. We'll be back in a little while."  
  
Ten minutes later, Johnson's voice came across the com channel. _"We're back up on your level with the ore. Can someone lead us from here?"_  
  
Carter answered quickly. "SG-16 can come and get you. We've swept the halls and rooms here. I'll be fine for a few minutes without them." She looked at the two Marines. "I'm serious, go get them. I'll be fine."  
  
The two Marines looked at one another, shrugged and headed off in the direction of the elevator.  
  
O'Neill heard the interchange on the radio and didn't like it. "Teal'c, Daniel, we're heading back." He spun on his heal, not waiting to see if the others were following. They hadn't found any sign of the Goa'uld.  
  
The Marines had been gone perhaps a minute when a door opened in what had appeared to be a solid wall. Two Jaffa stepped into the room. They noticed Carter engrossed in studying the machine and rushed forward to capture her. A moment later, the sound of footsteps approached from the same direction the Jaffa had come. They turned to face the approaching sound.  
  
Carter stood between the two Jaffa, unable to pull herself from their grasp.  
  
"Lord Koltec," one of the Jaffa spoke, "we have one of the intruders."  
  
"Good." The Goa'uld approached Carter. His hair and beard were silvery- gray. The body looked old for a host, but he moved easily with no sign of age or fatigue. He stopped in front of Carter and raised his right hand. The hand device he was wearing began to glow.  
  
For Carter, the world slowed as she watched the device begin to glow, then everything was blinding white pain. She screamed and thrashed as the Goa'uld continued to administer the pain. Then it stopped.  
  
"How many of you are there?" The voice seemed to come from far away.  
  
Carter didn't reply. She only glared at him. The hand device began to glow again and she began to scream, her vision darkening around the edges as she began to pass out. The blackness receded a bit and she hung limp between the two Jaffa. A voice brought her back from the edge of consciousness.  
  
"Once more, how many of you are there?"  
  
"I ...won't ...tell ...you." Carter tried to focus her thoughts.  
  
"Very well."  
  
The pain began again and so did the screaming. It seemed to go on forever, but suddenly it was gone and she collapsed to her knees, her head coming forward and her face hitting the cool floor. As she struggled to sit up she heard voices as if they were far off and coming through a tunnel.  
  
"Jaffa, remove the intruders!"  
  
Shouts of "Sam!" "Major Carter," and "Carter," rang out and she raised her eyes to see the two Jaffa engaging Daniel and Teal'c in close combat. O'Neill was running straight for her, but was dropped by a shot from a zat.  
  
"You dare oppose a god? You will die this day!" Koltec started to move toward the slowly recovering form of O'Neill.  
  
Carter's vision cleared enough for her to see the back of the legs of the Goa'uld and to be able to tell he was heading to finish off O'Neill. She fumbled with her combat harness, found what she was seeking and the new knife came easily out of its sheath. She lunged forward, driving the knife through the back of the Goa'uld's knee.  
  
Koltec shrieked and stumbled forward, pulling free of the knife and collapsing while trying to staunch the flow of blood from the wound.  
  
Carter crawled forward, rose up on her knees and drove the knife through the back of the neck of the Goa'uld host, severing his spinal column and killing the Goa'uld that was wrapped around it.  
  
The Marines from SG-3, SG-5 and SG-16 arrived in time to see Carter plunge her knife into the Goa'uld host's neck. Teal'c dispatched the Jaffa he was fighting at nearly the same instant. The SG-16 Marines rushed forward and pulled the other Jaffa off of Daniel before he could finish strangling the archaeologist. The Jaffa surprised the Marines with his strength and broke free of their grasp. He attempted to run, but was cut down in a brief hail of bullets.  
  
Daniel rubbed his throat, the beet-red color slowly fading from his face. "Thanks," he said in a hoarse voice.  
  
"Is everyone okay?" Johnson looked from one face to another.  
  
Teal'c nodded.  
  
O'Neill waved off a Marine who was trying to help him up.  
  
"Getting there." Daniel croaked.  
  
"I'll make it, sir." Carter was sitting up. She carefully cleaned her knife on the dead Goa'uld's clothing.  
  
_"Colonel O'Neill, this is Anderson. Can you hear me?"_ The voice startled everyone in the room.  
  
"This is O'Neill. Go ahead, Anderson."  
  
_"Sir, we just got word from the Tok'ra, sir. The mothership did not decelerate as much as expected and will be in orbit in fifteen minutes. The Tok'ra is leaving now and won't be able to give us any more updates."_  
  
"Acknowledged." O'Neill shook his head and took a quick glance around the room before continuing. "Hold that position. We'll be headed that way as fast as we can. In about twenty minutes try to dial out and give General Hammond a status update."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Johnson, do you have the Naqadah?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Give it to me, then get everyone rounded up and head for the Stargate. I'm going to set some charges and I'll be along in a few minutes."  
  
"I will stay with you, O'Neill." Teal'c stepped forward.  
  
"No, Teal'c. Make sure Daniel and Carter get to the Stargate. I won't be far behind." He looked at Daniel and Carter. "No arguments. Get moving."  
  
Carter, Teal'c and Johnson all dropped their backpacks on the floor next to O'Neill. He quickly opened them and pulled out the C-4 and added it to his pack as the others exited the room.  
  
O'Neill quickly placed a couple of small bricks inside panels around the camouflage device. He pulled out a dozen detonators with countdown timers and set them for twenty-five minutes, attached ten of them to bricks he'd laid out on the floor, then attached two of them to the bricks he had in place. He placed the Naqadah with the second brick, switched on the countdown for all timers, and then replaced the panel cover plates.  
  
Ten minutes later, O'Neill had set the rest of the charges and began to make his way out. "How are you all coming?"  
  
Johnson's voice came back to him. _"We're about ten minutes from the Stargate."  
_  
"All the charges are placed. Fifteen minutes to detonation. I'm heading out now."  
  
_"See you in a few minutes, sir."  
_  
O'Neill didn't bother to reply. He ran through the corridors and felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach as he heard a sound he recognized. He slowed down, cautiously approaching the noise. A ring transporter had just been activated. The sound of boot-clad feet on the hard floor came quickly afterward, followed by the rings being activated again.  
  
O'Neill keyed his microphone and whispered. "Double-time it people. There are Jaffa on the ground and ..."  
  
_"Halt! Drop your weapon!"_ Carter heard the voice of a Jaffa came clearly across the open channel.  
  
_"Aww, crap."_ The sound of a P-90 on full auto roared briefly before being cut off by dampeners. The sound of zats firing also came through, then silence.  
  
Carter turned back toward the base, as did Teal'c and Daniel.  
  
"Major! Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"We're going to get the Colonel, sir."  
  
"Negative, Major. We're going home, now." Carter glared at him defiantly. Teal'c and Daniel both stood immobile, not moving toward the Stargate.  
  
"Major, we all heard the same thing. He's most likely been captured or killed. The Colonel set charges to go off. We don't have time to get back for him now."  
  
Carter nodded, then turned and headed toward the Stargate at a jog, with Daniel and Teal'c not far behind.  
  
The sound of several staff weapons firing came from ahead of them. "They're ahead of us," Johnson called out loudly. "Spread out."  
  
A few minutes later, six Jaffa were dead, as were two members of SG-3. All four members of SG-5 had been wounded in the fray.  
  
Johnson quickly gathered the dog tags from the dead. "Let's move, people. There's bound to be more around and the noise will draw them. Almost before he finished speaking, the sound of staff weapons and projectile weapons could be heard from a ways ahead.  
  
Teal'c spoke up. "We must hurry. The gate will be active by now and if those guarding it cannot hold it, we will have no way to leave this place."  
  
A shuttle flew over them, obviously looking for a place to disgorge troops. The sound of engines whining in deceleration told Johnson that a suitable clearing had been found not too far behind them.  
  
"We need to move out now. Go!" Johnson waved them all on. "I said move!"  
  
As they ran ahead of pursuing Jaffa, Carter thought she heard something crackle across the radio frequency she was monitoring.  
  
"Colonel, are you there?" She keyed her mic and asked as she ran. The only answer was a brief instant of some sort of noise she could not identify, and then silence.  
  
The complex exploded behind the fleeing SG teams and lit up the sky brightly enough to cast shadows on the ground ahead of them. The rumble of the explosion reached them moments later.  
  
Johnson signaled for the teams to stop as they neared the intense battle around the Stargate. "Anderson, how are you and your men doing?"  
  
_"We're pinned down. I've got six men down and have not been able to dial out."  
_  
"Understood, Anderson. We're about to engage your Jaffa from behind. We'll need to take them quickly. We've got Jaffa a few minutes behind us."  
  
_"We'll be waiting, sir."  
_  
He glanced around at the Marines, Carter, Teal'c and Daniel. "We don't have time to do this in a pretty fashion. We'll double-time it up there and kill the Jaffa as quickly as possible, then assume defensive positions while Doctor Jackson dials home. Let's go."  
  
Johnson rushed forward, not waiting for the others.  
  
The Jaffa at the clearing were not expecting to be hit from behind and the battle lasted less than a minute.  
  
"Anderson?" Johnson looked around questioningly.  
  
"Sir, he's dead. He was hit in the last round of fire."  
  
Johnson looked at the man's nametag. "Okay, Evans. Collect the tags off the dead. We're not going to have time to take them back right now."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Doctor Jackson, dial home." The sounds of symbols being pressed on the DHD reached him before he finished his statement. The whoosh of the gate opening came soon after.  
  
Carter sent SG-1's IDC and then began speaking. "General, we're coming through. I'll come through last. Close the iris after me."  
  
The wounded SG-5 Marines were all through the gate. The SF's went through, as did SG-3. She waved Teal'c, Daniel and SG-16 through the gate and followed closely behind them.  
  
---  
  
What did you think? Please review and let me know. 


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